2007 Bristol Testing Speeds, News and Results

2007 Testing News:
NASCAR has set its 2007 Nextel Cup Series testing schedule that includes seven different venues that will provide the teams an opportunity to prepare for the various track layouts and surfaces that they will face over the course of the season. NASCAR determined the test schedule with the input and cooperation of each of the teams’ crew chiefs.
The testing sessions begin at Daytona International Speedway with the NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder at Daytona, beginning Monday, Jan. 8 running through Wednesday, Jan. 10 for approximately half the teams. Thursday, Jan. 11 is the rain date, if necessary. Test sessions will resume Monday, Jan. 15 through Wednesday, Jan. 17, with Thursday, Jan. 18 as the rain date for the remaining teams. Test sessions at Daytona are scheduled for 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., weather permitting, with an hour lunch break from noon until 1 p.m.
The remaining six tracks that will host test sessions are:
* Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Jan. 29-30 (rain date is Jan. 31)
* Bristol Motor Speedway – Feb. 28-March 1 (rain date is March 2)
* Richmond International Raceway – April 3-4 (rain date is April 5)
* Lowe’s Motor Speedway – May 7-8 (rain date is May 9)
* Dover International Speedway – May 14-15 (rain date is May 16)
* Talladega Superspeedway – Sept. 10-11 (rain date is Sept. 12)
NASCAR instituted a new track testing policy in 2006 that pre-sets a schedule for when and where NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series tests are to be conducted. The scheduled tests are the only opportunities teams will have to test at NASCAR NEXTEL Cup tracks. The policy was implemented to serve as an aid to maintain better overall competitive balance for the teams and contain costs. “NASCAR received input and recommendations from each of the crew chiefs that was valuable to our decision making process,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president for competition. “The seven tracks that were selected provide the teams with a wide variety of layouts, surfaces, and track characteristics that should provide them with an opportunity to have success in 2007.”(NASCAR PR)(9-25-2006)

Cup team test COT's at Talladega Sept 10-11: Oct. 7 UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway will be the first restrictor-plate event for the Car of Tomorrow – NASCAR’s next-generation race car that will compete fulltime in 2008 – so next week’s two-day test means preparing to make history. “I think it's going to be a big test,” said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. “When you look at Talladega historically, they have had some of the most exciting races and tightest competition. That race track is one of the widest tracks we go to. It is the biggest track we go to. So the races there have historically been great.” A total of 52 series teams will test next Monday and Tuesday on Talladega’s high-banked, 2.66-mile tri-oval. It’s the sixth of seven NASCAR-scheduled series tests in 2007 and the third dedicated to the Car of Tomorrow (previous tests for the new car took place at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway). Teams are phasing in the new car by running it in 16 of 36 scheduled ’07 events; the Oct. 7 race at Talladega marks the 14th such event. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Director John Darby said the new car will have a considerable, positive effect on teams’ restrictor-plate preparations. Two of the car’s new components – including the splitter just below the front air dam and the rear wing – should allow crew chiefs more restrictor-place tuning options. “Forever, we've had a restrictor-plate car and a short-track and intermediate car,” Darby said of the variations of the current car. “And although I would never walk down the path of being as naive as saying there won't be any differences, the cars will be much, much closer. The differences between the (.526.-mile) Martinsville (Speedway) car and Talladega car will probably be small enough that only a specialist in the field will be able to tell them apart.” Both days’ sessions run from 9am-5pm/ct, weather permitting.(NASCAR PR)(9-9-2007)

TESTING - Day 1

Talladega Testing Day 1 AM: The first day [of two] of COT testing at Talladega Super Speedway had 62 cars testing in the morning session with #11-Hamlin (Chevy) being fastest in the morning session with a speed of 189.560mph followed by #18-Yeley, #96B-Raines, #42A-Montoya (Dodge) and #40A-Stremme. The fastest Ford was #88A-Wallace - 28th and the fastest Toyota was #55B-Waltrip - 11th. Slowest driver was #27-Villenuve at 160.658mph.(9-10-2007)

Talladega Testing Day 1 PM: The first day [of two] of COT testing at Talladega Super Speedway had 51 cars testing in the afternoon session with #11-Hamlin (Chevy) once again the fastest at 188.345mph followed by #15A-Menard, #42A-Montoya (Dodge), #19A-Sadler and #07B-Bowyer. The fastest Ford was #17B-Kenseth - 26th and the fastest Toyota was #22A-Blaney - 6th. Slowest driver was #99A-Edwards at 180.717.(9-10-2007)

Talladega Testing Day 1 PM drafting: The first day [of two] of COT testing at Talladega Super Speedway had 70 cars doing drafting testing in the late afternoon session. The fastest was #70H-Sauter at 196.165mph then #1A-Truex Jr., #40A-Stremme, #9A-Kahne and #42A- Montoya. The fastest Ford was #16A-Biffle - 12th and the fastest Toyota was #27A-Villeneuve - 11th. Slowest was #26B-McMurray at 181.450mph.(9-10-2007)

Talladega Test notes:
A one-inch restrictor plate is being used for this week’s test, and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said a final decision on plate size has yet to be made. "We're working really hard to stay with the one-inch plate,” he said. “Overall speeds will ultimately make the decision." A total of 52 series teams are testing on Talladega’s high-banked, 2.66-mile tri-oval. It’s the sixth of seven NASCAR-scheduled series tests in 2007 and the third dedicated to the Car of Tomorrow (previous tests for the new car took place at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway).
Jason Keller is tesing the #98 Dodge for Gilltett Evernham Motorsports
Sam Hornish Jr. is testing the #06 for Penske Racing
Jacques Villeneuve is testing the #27 Toyota for Bill Davis Racing.
Sterling Marling is testing the #09 for Phoenix Racing.(9-10-2007)AND In the day's only incident, #41-Reed Sorenson hit the wall in turns 1 and 2 with less than five minutes remaining the day's final session. Sorenson was not injured although his car sustained right-side damage. While teams tested with a restrictor plate that had 1-inch holes Monday (up from the 7/8th-inch plate used here earlier this year), series director John Darby said it's likely that teams will begin Tuesday's morning test session with a smaller plate. "The wing combination is different from what we tested with last October and earlier this year," he said. "And, we've gone from zero degrees to 10 degrees on the wing angle. Basically, that makes the rear of the car a little more efficient and enabled us to go up to a 1-inch restrictor plate. Today we left the plate alone and went to a taller wicker [on the rear wing]. Tomorrow, we may come down a little on the wicker and go a little smaller on the plate to see if it helps. One of the comments we've heard is that the engines are running through the powerband too quickly, so that should help a little and take some of the 'buffeting' of the car away."(SceneDaily.com)(9-11-2007)

Pole Speeds at Talladega in the 'old' car:
April 2007 was #24-Gordon at 192.069mph
Oct 2006 was #38-Gilliland at 191.712mph

DAY 1 Morning Speeds - Sept 10, 2007Single Car Runs

rank

car#

driver

manu

time(seconds)

speed(mph)

1

11

Denny Hamlin

Chevy

50.517

189.560

2

18

J.J. Yeley

Chevy

50.586

189.301

3

96B

Tony Raines

Chevy

50.590

189.286

4

42A

Juan Pablo Montoya

Dodge

50.673

188.976

5

40A

David Stremme

Dodge

50.754

188.675

6

10B

Scott Riggs

Dodge

50.801

188.500

7

15A

Paul Menard

Chevy

50.830

188.393

8

07B

Clint Bowyer

Chevy

50.891

188.167

9

2A

Kurt Busch

Dodge

50.899

188.137

10

19A

Elliott Sadler

Dodge

50.900

188.134

11

55B

Michael Waltrip

Toyota

50.909

188.100

12

22A

Dave Blaney

Toyota

50.942

187.978

13

9A

Kasey Kahne

Dodge

50.978

187.846

14

20

Tony Stewart

Chevy

51.019

187.695

15

98B

Jason Keller

Dodge

51.058

187.551

16

83A

Brian Vickers

Toyota

51.086

187.449

17

4A

Ward Burton

Chevy

51.103

187.386

18

12A

Ryan Newman

Dodge

51.113

187.350

19

1A

Martin Truex, Jr

Chevy

51.122

187.317

20

24A

Jeff Gordon

Chevy

51.132

187.280

21

55A

Michael Waltrip

Toyota

51.163

187.167

22

8A

Dale Earnhardt, Jr

Chevy

51.177

187.115

23

01A

Aric Almirola

Chevy

51.241

186.882

24

84A

AJ Allmendinger

Toyota

51.246

186.863

25

31A

Jeff Burton

Chevy

51.256

186.827

26

34

Kevin Lepage

Dodge

51.259

186.816

27

9B

Kasey Kahne

Dodge

51.273

186.765

28

88A

Kenny Wallace

Ford

51.281

186.736

29

45A

Kyle Petty

Dodge

51.292

186.696

30

44A

Dale Jarrett

Toyota

51.294

186.689

31

44B

Dale Jarrett

Toyota

51.294

186.689

32

43A

Bobby Labonte

Dodge

51.306

186.645

33

98A

Jason Keller

Dodge

51.310

186.630

34

12B

Ryan Newman

Dodge

51.319

186.598

35

66G

Jeff Green

Chevy

51.329

186.561

36

17M

Matt Kenseth

Ford

51.350

186.485

37

06A

Sam Hornish

Dodge

51.360

186.449

38

78A

Joe Nemechek

Chevy

51.361

186.445

39

70H

Johnny Sauter

Chevy

51.375

186.394

40

29B

Kevin Harvick

Chevy

51.451

186.119

41

48A

Jimmie Johnson

Chevy

51.452

186.115

42

22A

Dave Blaney

Toyota

51.455

186.104

43

49

John Andretti

Dodge

51.507

185.916

44

41X

Reed Sorenson

Dodge

51.523

185.859

45

7A

Robby Gordon

Ford

51.525

185.852

46

00B

David Reutimann

Toyota

51.550

185.761

47

00A

David Reutimann

Toyota

51.579

185.657

48

25A

Casey Mears

Chevy

51.625

185.492

49

2B

Kurt Busch

Dodge

51.685

185.276

50

60A

Boris Said

Ford

51.739

185.083

51

25B

Casey Mears

Chevy

51.740

185.079

52

5A

Kyle Busch

Chevy

51.805

184.847

53

6B

David Ragan

Ford

51.887

184.555

54

26A

Jamie McMurray

Ford

51.890

184.544

55

6A

David Ragan

Ford

51.911

184.470

56

16A

Greg Biffle

Ford

51.962

184.289

57

38A

David Gilliland

Ford

52.026

184.062

58

43B

Bobby Labonte

Dodge

52.061

183.938

59

99A

Carl Edwards

Ford

52.192

183.476

60

09A

Sterling Marlin

Chevy

52.370

182.853

61

21A

Ken Schrader

Ford

52.659

181.849

62

27

Jacques Villeneuve

Toyota

59.605

160.658

(NASCAR Statistics)(9-10-2007)

DAY 1 Afternoon Speeds - Sept 10, 2007Single Car Runs

rank

car#

driver

manu

time(seconds)

speed(mph)

1

11

Denny Hamlin

Chevy

50.843

188.345

2

15A

Paul Menard

Chevy

50.894

188.156

3

42A

Juan Pablo Montoya

Dodge

50.974

187.860

4

19A

Elliott Sadler

Dodge

51.008

187.735

5

07B

Clint Bowyer

Chevy

51.041

187.614

6

22A

Dave Blaney

Toyota

51.054

187.566

7

96A

Tony Raines

Chevy

51.067

187.518

8

40A

David Stremme

Dodge

51.070

187.507

9

4A

Ward Burton

Chevy

51.091

187.430

10

55B

Michael Waltrip

Toyota

51.254

186.834

11

44A

Dale Jarrett

Toyota

51.268

186.783

12

1A

Martin Truex, Jr

Chevy

51.276

186.754

13

2A

Kurt Busch

Dodge

51.283

186.729

14

43A

Bobby Labonte

Dodge

51.302

186.659

15

18

J.J. Yeley

Chevy

51.309

186.634

16

12A

Ryan Newman

Dodge

51.309

186.634

17

34

Kevin Lepage

Dodge

51.318

186.601

18

31A

Jeff Burton

Chevy

51.358

186.456

19

78A

Joe Nemechek

Chevy

51.359

186.452

20

66G

Jeff Green

Chevy

51.369

186.416

21

01A

Aric Almirola

Chevy

51.370

186.412

22

00A

David Reutimann

Toyota

51.401

186.300

23

8A

Dale Earnhardt, Jr

Chevy

51.408

186.275

24

10A

Scott Riggs

Dodge

51.451

186.119

25

84A

AJ Allmendinger

Toyota

51.486

185.992

26

17B

Matt Kenseth

Ford

51.549

185.765

27

20

Tony Stewart

Chevy

51.557

185.736

28

00B

David Reutimann

Toyota

51.560

185.725

29

98A

Jason Keller

Dodge

51.610

185.545

30

49

John Andretti

Dodge

51.611

185.542

31

9B

Kasey Kahne

Dodge

51.617

185.520

32

06A

Sam Hornish

Dodge

51.628

185.481

33

60A

Boris Said

Ford

51.670

185.330

34

48A

Jimmie Johnson

Chevy

51.784

184.922

35

41X

Reed Sorenson

Dodge

51.816

184.808

36

70H

Johnny Sauter

Chevy

51.869

184.619

37

16A

Greg Biffle

Ford

51.900

184.509

38

6A

David Ragan

Ford

51.906

184.487

39

25A

Casey Mears

Chevy

51.956

184.310

40

5A

Kyle Busch

Chevy

52.009

184.122

41

43B

Bobby Labonte

Dodge

52.025

184.065

42

09A

Sterling Marlin

Chevy

52.052

183.970

43

45A

Kyle Petty

Dodge

52.056

183.956

44

7A

Robby Gordon

Ford

52.118

183.737

45

88A

Kenny Wallace

Ford

52.269

183.206

46

26A

Jamie McMurray

Ford

52.389

182.786

47

22A

Dave Blaney

Toyota

52.410

182.713

48

99A

Carl Edwards

Ford

52.419

182.682

49

16B

Greg Biffle

Ford

52.504

182.386

50

21A

Ken Schrader

Ford

52.745

181.553

51

99B

Carl Edwards

Ford

52.989

180.717

(NASCAR Statistics)(9-10-2007)

DAY 1 Afternoon Speeds - Sept 10, 2007Drafting Runs

rank

car#

driver

manu

time(seconds)

speed(mph)

1

70H

Johnny Sauter

Chevy

48.816

196.165

2

1A

Martin Truex, Jr

Chevy

48.966

195.564

3

40A

David Stremme

Dodge

49.137

194.884

4

9A

Kasey Kahne

Dodge

49.142

194.864

5

42A

Juan Pablo Montoya

Dodge

49.160

194.793

6

11

Denny Hamlin

Chevy

49.164

194.777

7

2A

Kurt Busch

Dodge

49.195

194.654

8

41X

Reed Sorenson

Dodge

49.207

194.606

9

12B

Ryan Newman

Dodge

49.235

194.496

10

48A

Jimmie Johnson

Chevy

49.237

194.488

11

27B

Jacques Villeneuve

Toyota

49.278

194.326

12

16A

Greg Biffle

Ford

49.291

194.275

13

12A

Ryan Newman

Dodge

49.306

194.216

14

66G

Jeff Green

Chevy

49.307

194.212

15

20

Tony Stewart

Chevy

49.335

194.102

16

29B

Kevin Harvick

Chevy

49.338

194.090

17

5A

Kyle Busch

Chevy

49.342

194.074

18

96A

Tony Raines

Chevy

49.360

194.003

19

31A

Jeff Burton

Chevy

49.367

193.976

20

99A

Carl Edwards

Ford

49.375

193.944

21

26A

Jamie McMurray

Ford

49.381

193.921

22

15A

Paul Menard

Chevy

49.387

193.897

23

18

J.J. Yeley

Chevy

49.404

193.830

24

17M

Matt Kenseth

Ford

49.412

193.799

25

00A

David Reutimann

Toyota

49.430

193.729

26

24A

Jeff Gordon

Chevy

49.437

193.701

27

25A

Casey Mears

Chevy

49.508

193.423

28

8A

Dale Earnhardt, Jr

Chevy

49.581

193.139

29

29A

Kevin Harvick

Chevy

49.628

192.956

30

17K

Matt Kenseth

Ford

49.634

192.932

31

43B

Bobby Labonte

Dodge

49.697

192.688

32

19A

Elliott Sadler

Dodge

49.717

192.610

33

7A

Robby Gordon

Ford

49.728

192.568

34

09A

Sterling Marlin

Chevy

49.742

192.513

35

6B

David Ragan

Ford

49.755

192.463

36

01A

Aric Almirola

Chevy

49.787

192.339

37

4A

Ward Burton

Chevy

49.792

192.320

38

43A

Bobby Labonte

Dodge

49.897

191.915

39

25B

Casey Mears

Chevy

49.918

191.835

40

38A

David Gilliland

Ford

49.956

191.689

41

78A

Joe Nemechek

Chevy

49.956

191.689

42

99B

Carl Edwards

Ford

49.990

191.558

43

55B

Michael Waltrip

Toyota

50.206

190.734

44

10B

Scott Riggs

Dodge

50.248

190.575

45

07A

Clint Bowyer

Chevy

50.914

188.082

46

83A

Brian Vickers

Toyota

50.966

187.890

47

34

Kevin Lepage

Dodge

50.967

187.886

48

22A

Dave Blaney

Toyota

50.984

187.824

49

44A

Dale Jarrett

Toyota

51.010

187.728

50

49

John Andretti

Dodge

51.072

187.500

51

20B

Tony Stewart

Chevy

51.083

187.460

52

11B

Denny Hamlin

Chevy

51.152

187.207

53

45A

Kyle Petty

Dodge

51.187

187.079

54

98A

Jason Keller

Dodge

51.261

186.809

55

84A

AJ Allmendinger

Toyota

51.316

186.608

56

55A

Michael Waltrip

Toyota

51.339

186.525

57

18B

J.J. Yeley

Chevy

51.346

186.499

58

07A

Clint Bowyer

Chevy

51.415

186.249

59

60A

Boris Said

Ford

51.427

186.206

60

06A

Sam Hornish

Dodge

51.443

186.148

61

31X

Jeff Burton

Chevy

51.446

186.137

62

9B

Kasey Kahne

Dodge

51.605

185.563

63

88A

Kenny Wallace

Ford

51.612

185.538

64

21B

Ken Schrader

Ford

51.634

185.459

65

00B

David Reutimann

Toyota

51.670

185.330

66

6A

David Ragan

Ford

51.744

185.065

67

44B

Dale Jarrett

Toyota

51.760

185.008

68

45B

Kyle Petty

Dodge

51.871

184.612

69

21A

Ken Schrader

Ford

52.587

182.098

70

26B

Jamie McMurray

Ford

52.775

181.450

(NASCAR Statistics)(9-10-2007)

TESTING - Day 2

Talladega Testing Day 2 AM drafting: The second day [of two] of COT testing at Talladega Super Speedway had 49 drivers in 61 cars doing drafting testing in the morning session using a smaller restictor plate [from an inch to 31/32nds of an inch] and a smaller wicker on the wing [1"..down from 1 1/4"](SceneDauly.com). #15A-Menard posted the fastest drafting speed at 191.684mph followed by #5A-Busch, #27B-Villeneuve, #24B-Gordon and #20-Stewart. The fastest Ford was #16-Biffle who was 10th and the fastest Dodge was #9A-Kahne at 12th. There were no incidents on the track during the morning session. The only brief stoppage came after #25-Mears lost an engine.

Talladega Testing Day 2 PM drafting: The second day [of two] of COT testing at Talladega Super Speedway closed out the testing of the COT there with 49 drivers in 54 cars doing drafting testing in the afternoon still using a smaller restictor plate [31/32nds of an inch] and a smaller wicker on the wing [1"]. #15A-Menard once again osted the fastest drafting speed at 193.045mph followed by #5A-Busch, #29B-Harvick, #21B-Schrader and #9-Kahne. The fastest Toyota was #44-Jarrett who was 22nd. Slowest was #99-Edwards at 179.135 and #6A-Ragan at 181.305. Rain showers forced NASCAR officials to shorten Tuesday's test at Talladega Superspeedway.